Do you want to emigrate and live in Costa Rica?

Each case is unique and will vary depending the category, but it is usually requested the following:

1. Birth certificate

2. Criminal Records of the country of nationality and from the place of residency of the past three years. If the country is a FEDERAL nation, then only FEDERAL criminal records would work.

3. Marriage certificate, when applicable.

4. Academic degrees, when applicable that back-up the specialised knowledge.

All documents must be translated by an official translator and has to come with an apostille.

Keep in mind that this documents are not needed for a digital nomad visa.

in order for documents to become valid in Costa Rica, the documents have to be issued by a competent authority and must be legalised either with the apostille or through the chain of legalization methods.

If you need help in obtaining your documentation, please contact us, forget the stress of googling for answers and not knowing what to do. Let us help.

Another aspect to take into account is that all documents must be in Spanish or translated by an official translator authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica.

Don't worry, our job is to make your life easier, so we'll coordinate this process. You just have to pay for it.

The first thing you should do is contact us to review your case, explain the different possible scenarios, and then decide which way to go.

There are two ways to apply for residency:

1. ONLINE, using the Tramiteya.go.cr website, but it is limited to only certain migration categories. This comes with an additional cost of $10 per request, but with the promise of a response in just 90 days.

2. IN PERSON, using the appointment system available on the Immigration Department website.

It really depends on each case and the circumstances of each person, sometimes it can take up to 3 months, as it happens with managers of companies registered with the General Directorate of Migration and Aliens. While in other circumstances it can take between 1 or 2 years.

It depends on each case, really, if you have any questions, just contact us and we'll clarify it for you.

Keep in mind that once you apply for residency, you will receive a paper that proves your application and that paper allows you to stay legally in the country until you get a resolution from the migration agency.

The process involves at least the following institutions:

1. General Directorate of Migration and Immigration (Migration Authority)

2. Police Department: for registration purposes. It can be done before or after the presentation is made.

3. Minister of Labor: only in the cases of knowledge migrants, to ensure that there are no local displaced persons.

4. Costa Rican Social Security Fund: it is mandatory to be affiliated with Social Security.

5. Ministry of Finance / Tax Authority: In certain categories, it will be necessary to register with the Tax Authority

The application fees.and taxes that are paid directly to the government to apply for residence varies between USD$50-$250 dollars, depending if the application is done within the country or abroad.

The security deposit, which is refundable, is determined by the price of a return ticket the applicants homecountry. For digital nomads, this requirement has been simplified to paying USD$100.

Yes, but it depends on each case. The best thing you can do is talk to us directly to get all your answers.

For purposes of interpreting the concept of dependent, it includes:

1. Spouse/husband (heterosexual or homosexual, it does not matter, since in Costa Rica we have same-sex civil marriage)

2. The sons and daughters of one or the other, under twenty-five years of age or older with a disability;

3. Their parents, provided there is a dependency relationship.

In accordance with Law 9966, those who apply for residence, either as a renter or investor, within a period of 5 years from the enactment of the law (July 21, 2021) will have the following benefits:

1. Tariff exemption and all import taxes present for a single time, for the importation of household items. In the applications you can protect your dependents, for immigration purposes. Household items shall be understood as any new or used article, of a reasonable nature and proportionally sufficient for the needs of the beneficiary of this law and the members of his immediate family, including, among others, furniture for domestic use, electrical appliances, decorative items of home. , kitchen and bathroom utensils, bedding. If the beneficiary alienates these assets within the validity period of the benefits granted in accordance with the provisions of the second paragraph of article 12 of this law, he must pay the taxes from which he was exempt. In very qualified situations, in which the household goods are destroyed or lost due to theft, the beneficiary may acquire other goods in substitution for them, equally exempt from taxes. The regulation will develop the accreditation mechanisms of the circumstances in which these qualified exceptions apply.

2. Beneficiaries may import up to two land, air, and/or sea transportation vehicles, for personal or family use, free of all import, duty, and value-added taxes. In the event of loss of the vehicle due to theft, total destruction by fire, flood, collision or accident, occurring during the period of validity of the benefits granted in accordance with the provisions of the second paragraph of article 12 of this law, the owner may import another vehicle free of the indicated taxes. The beneficiary of this law, who has imported a vehicle under the conditions indicated in the previous paragraph, may sell or dispose of it to third parties, in which case the provisions of article 10 of Law 7088, Tax Readjustment and Tariff Resolution 18 will apply. and Customs. Council CA, November 30, 1987.

3. The sums declared as income to qualify for the benefits of this law will be exempt from income tax. However, the income obtained in the national territory, the results of the investments made in the country, will be taxed by the income tax. , in accordance with the provisions of Law 7092, Income Tax Law, of December 21, April 1988.

4. Exemption of twenty percent (20%) of the total transfer tax, in real estate acquired within the validity of this law, provided that the beneficiary is the registered owner of the property. If the beneficiary alienates these assets within the validity of this law, he must pay the taxes from which he was exonerated.

5. Exemption from taxes on the import of instruments or materials for professional or scientific practice, carried out by the person with the migratory category of investor, pensioner resident or rentier resident. The person must demonstrate, before the Ministry of Finance, that what is imported corresponds to his economic activity and meets criteria of proportionality and reasonableness.

Yes. You are entitled to leave the country, anytime you return you will be required to show the proof of application and an exit ticket

Yes, not a problem. We can coordinate everything so you have to move only if its absolutely necessary.

It will be ony necesary on the following aspects:

1. Police registration: this is mandatory for any residency (not for visas).

2. Consular registration: most Consulates have the possibility to do it online, but there area few exceptions that require to do it n person.

3. Marriage interview: in the case of residency through marriage, it is mandatory to have an interview before the immigration authority.